Pay-It-Forward House fair

Published: Tuesday, July 8, 2014 5:30 a.m. CST

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(Provided photo)

Pay-It-Forward House volunteer Bob Self holds the "All About Sycamore" basket donated by Anne Bahan, one of several baskets featured in the raffle and silent auction at the house's Meet Me at the Fair event.

Pay-It-Forward House will hold its ninth annual Meet Me at the Fair from 3 to 6 p.m. July 19 at the house at 719 Somonauk St. in Sycamore. This old-fashioned, family-oriented fun fair includes kids’ games, bounce houses, food, storytelling by local artist Phyllis Horst and musical entertainment by the Black Tie Jazz Trio.

Brian Adams of 94.9 FM B-95 in DeKalb will serve as master of ceremonies. Admission, food and entertainment are free, with many family-oriented gift baskets and silent auction items.

Pay-It-Forward House is a health care hospitality house established to provide a caring and supportive home-away-from-home for family and friends of patients receiving medical treatment in DeKalb County, especially at Kindred Hospital in Sycamore. Kindred Hospital is an acute care facility whose specialty services attract patients from all over Illinois and surrounding states, requiring the loved ones of patients receiving care there to travel a distance to be with them. Pay-It-Forward House also occasionally serves families visiting local hospice clients or patients at Kishwaukee Hospital.

“Meet Me at the Fair is one way we can say thank you to all of our friends and supporters,” event chairman Bart Desch said in a news release. “The corporate sponsorships for this event, as well as the proceeds from silent auction items and this year’s new themed gift basket raffles, help cover about 10 percent of the house’s operating expenses each year, so this has become an important fundraising event, too.”

This year, people can buy “chance” drawing tickets to win themed gift baskets including “All About Sycamore,” “Family Game Night,” “Bedtime Stories,” “Movie Night,” “Grilling,” and more. Silent auction items include VIP seating to watch the 2014 Pumpkin Festival parade and gift certificates to local restaurants, pools, and other businesses. Bidding in the silent auction is from 3 to 5:30 p.m.